EASY RECIPES AND STUFF

EASY RECIPE

We had a great chopped salad at Morton’s last weekend, so I decided to see if I could recreate the dish and of course go a little further.  The result is my easy recipe for Chopped Spinach with Bacon Dressing and Shrimp.

You are going to love this dinner for 4.

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp – cooked.

1 bunch of fresh spinach – chopped.

5 slices of butcher style bacon.

4 Tbsp. – diced green onion.

2 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard.

1/2 C Red Wine Vinegar.

1/3 C dried cranberries.

1/3 C feta cheese – crumbled

1 tsp lemon juice.

salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:

Cut most stem from the spinach while still in store binding and then rinse the leaves.  Once leaves are clean, spin dry them or pat with paper towels to dry.

Remove any remaining long stems and then chop spinach into narrow long slices and then chop the other way.  Place chopped spinach in large bowl.

Rinse the precooked shrimp and dry with paper towel.

In fry pan cook the bacon well as you will be crumbing it.  Reserve a good 2 Tbsp of bacon fat in the fry pan.

To the bacon fat add the green onion and saute.  Then add the red wine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir to mix and then drizzle over the chopped spinach and toss the spinach.

Add the crumbled bacon, dried cranberries, feta, and lemon juice and toss the salad again.

Plate individual servings of salad and add the shrimp.

And just like that you made a killer salad, and no one needs to know it was super easy.

AND STUFF

Well here we are January 22, 2014.  Boy times fly when you are happy.  Nineteen years ago today was both the luckiest day and the singularly smartest day in my life.  That was the day I somehow got Sue to tie the knot with me.

Happy Anniversary to my lovely Sue!

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger Scouton

Editor’s note:  Beth Challain is in the house guest blogging  her awesome but easy Faux Joe’s recipe!  So whether you’re looking for a meatless Monday or everyday vegetarian this recipe is for you!  Thanks Beth!

Sloppy Lenny’s (aka Faux Joe’s)

Ingredients:

1 cup brown lentils
1 carrot diced small
1 celery stalk diced small
1 cup brown onion diced small
½ medium sized bell pepper, any color will do.  I like red the best.
1 clove garlic finely chopped
1 8oz can tomato sauce
½ 4oz can tomato paste
1 T vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 t coriander
1 t chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t dry mustard (or you can use Dijon or yellow if that is what you have)

Directions:

Cook your lentils according to package directions, typically bring a cup of lentils in 2.5 cups of water to a boil and then lower heat to simmer for 20 minutes or until just tender (you don’t want mushy lentils.)

While the lentils are cooking heat up your pot to medium.  I use my big covered cast iron pot because food just seems heartier when it is cooked in that heavy colorful pot!  Put 1 T of your preferred oil (I like grape seed since it can handle heat and doesn’t impart much flavor) into your pot and sauté the onion until it is translucent.  Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes.  Add the celery, pepper, and carrot and continue sautéing for 5 – 7 minutes.  If you get a little browning in the bottom of the pot drop in a T of water and stir to release that deliciousness!

Once the veggies have gotten this great start to cooking you can add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and all the spices.  This mixture can simmer on low until the lentils are done cooking.  When the lentils are cooked (but not mushy!) you can remove them from the heat.  If there is excess water in that pot then strain it out before you stir the lentils into your veggie base in the big pot.  Allow the complete mixture to simmer for 10 minutes or longer, if you keep the heat on low is just stays warm until you need it.

If you are cooking it ahead you can put it in the fridge and warm it on the stove or in the microwave as needed.   For my family of four I double this recipe and have it for dinner with Roger’s plank fries, although today I opted for Vegan Macaroni Salad. The leftovers make great after school and/or midnight snacks for the next few days.  Within 5 minutes of arriving home from school even the most non-cooking teen can toss a few heaping spoonfuls on a paper plate and nuke it before sliding it onto burger buns that have been coated with ketchup.

Now you have Sloppy Lenny’s, aka Faux Joe’s!

Thanks Beth ! Keep em coming!

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger Scouton

Follow me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/EasyRecipesAndStuff   and on Twitter  @easyrecipesrog

EASY RECIPE

We just got back in town and I needed to cook dinner.  Our flight was delayed, and delayed again.  All in all it seemed like a good time for a super easy version of my favorite comfort food.  How about a great simple hot Italian turkey sausage pasta?

Recipe serves four.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/4 lb. hot Italian turkey sausage – casing removed.

1/2 onion – chopped.

1/2 green  bell pepper – chopped.

1/4 cup carrot – minced.

15 oz can tomato sauce.

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes.

1/2 cup red wine.

1/2 cup water.

2 cloves garlic minced.

1 tsp dried basil.

1 tsp dried oregano.

1/2 tsp black pepper.

1/4 tsp Allspice.

Preparation:

In a large pot brown turkey sausage and remove most of the grease.  Add onion, green bell pepper, garlic, and carrots and then saute.

Add wine, tomato sauce, and diced tomatoes and stir.

Add basil, oregano, Allspice, and black pepper and stir.

Increase heat to light boil and then reduce to low simmer.

Prepare spaghetti per package in a separate large pot.

And there you go, a home cooked low fat dinner that is super easy and delicious!

AND STUFF

We were recently in the CA and AZ deserts and I am convinced that the beauty of the desert is an equal of any wonderful landscape.  I love the beach, and can’t forget the beauty of the first run down a mountain run on a powder morning, and there is much to be said the beauty of the long view great plains.  But there is a unique beauty to be found in the desert.

Maybe it’s an acquired taste for a stark beauty.  Maybe it’s the eye popping contrast…..

Whatever the reason, the desert beauty is on a par with any natural scene.

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger Scouton

Follow me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/EasyRecipesAndStuff   and on Twitter  @easyrecipesrog

I have two super easy appetizers you can put together in no time for your holiday party or to bring to a party.  The first recipe was inspired by a foodista play on the deviled egg, the twist is they use a guacamole filling.  The second appetizer recipe is my salute to the traditional Thanksgiving meal.

EASY RECIPES

Ingredients:

12 eggs

store bought guacamole

Sriracha chili sauce

Preparation:

Fill a large pot with  enough water to cover eggs.

Bring water to boil on medium high heat and then reduce heat to strong simmer.

After 8 minutes poor hot water from pot and add cool faucet water to eggs in pot until water stays cool.

Remove shells from eggs.

Slice eggs in half, remove and discard yolk.

Spoon prepared guacamole into the cavity of each egg half (foodista has a great guacamole recipe but I’m all about easy).

Put a small dot of Sriracha sauce on each egg, cover and refrigerate.

The only thing easier to make for a party is the next recipe.

Ingredients:

1 loaf French bread

fresh or packaged turkey slices

dressing (stove top works just fine if you don’t have left overs)

fresh cranberries

Mayonnaise

Worcestershire

Preparation:

If you do not have left over dressing, prepare stove top dressing per box.

Slice French bread making about 19 slices or so.

Spread small amount of Mayonnaise on each bread slice.

Add turkey slice to each bread slice.

Drizzle a little Worcestershire sauce on meat.

Add a small spoon of dressing.

top with one cranberry each, affixed with tooth pick.

Cover with wrap and refrigerate.

That’s it, two appetizers done in a flash.

Good Eating and Table Talk,

Roger Scouton

Follow me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/EasyRecipesAndStuff   and on Twitter  @easyrecipesrog

Need a holiday read or gift?